'It's not about the BMI': Australia's Next Top Model judge Alex Perry says he doesn't agree with France's move to ban models with a low Body Mass Index

The movement to ban models with a low Body Mass Index is gaining momentum in France, but not everyone in the fashion industry supports the idea.

Australian fashion designer Alex Perry said he believes it's not an effective way to keep dangerously slim women off the runway in an interview with Cosmopolitan Australia.

The Australia's Next Top Model judge said the BMI isn't always a fair indicator of whether someone is healthy or not.

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Not on board: Australia's Next Top Model judge Alex Perry said he doesn't agree with proposed laws in France to ban models with a Body Mass Index under 18 from working, in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine

'It’s not about the BMI. It’s not about the measurement of you,' he told the magazine.

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'If you see Alessandra [Ambrosio]'s dress size, if you see the dress you’ll go "oh my god that’s so tiny" but when you see what she looks like she’s extraordinarily fit and healthy, she’s strong,' he said, clarifying that he's not aware of the Brazilian beauty's BMI.

'There are girls coming down the runway that are skin and bone. That’s not the right image,' he added.

'There are girls coming down the runway that are skin and bone. That’s not the right image': The Sydney fashion designer agreed unhealthy models are a problem, but didn't think the BMI ban is the right strategy

The Sydney designer caused controversy in his own show during Australian Fashion Week last year.

One of the models he sent down the runway, Cassi Van Den Dungen, shocked onlookers with her painfully thin appearance.

He later admitted that he'd been so busy leading up to the show he hadn't noticed how frail Cassi was looking.

Controversy: Alex cited Alessandra Ambrosio (left), pictured at his Australian Fashion Week show last year, as a healthy role model. Last year the designer caused controversy by sending a frail looking Cassi Van Den Dungen (right) down the runway at the same show. He later admitted it was 'a serious lack of judgement on my part'

Speaking on the Today Show later that week, Alex admitted he'd 'recoiled' as he was shown the images of Cassi wearing his garments.

'It was a serious lack of judgement on my part that I let that happen. I'm not excusing it at all because I don't think it's right, but 14 hours days, you try to get everything finished in time.

'I got distracted. I chatted to Cassi I've known her for a long time. I should have made that call. I was off the ball.'

Last month a bill was passed through the lower house of the French parliament that proposes models should be required to show a bill of health that proves their BMI is greater than 18 before they can be hired.

Any company that knowingly hired a model with a BMI lower than 18 could be fined up to $82,000.

'She’s extraordinarily fit and healthy, she’s strong': Alex said that Alessandra Ambrosio is very slim but not unhealthy, although he admitted he's not aware of what her BMI is